Lebanese ministerial officials say Hezbollah on Wednesday received “last-chance advice” from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey to hand over its weapons to Lebanon’s government, according to the Arabic newspaper Asharq al-Awsat.
According to the sources, the countries warned the militant group that failing to disarm would isolate Lebanon politically and economically. Its failure to cooperate would also lead to a war with Israel, only deepening anti-Hezbollah sentiment within Lebanon.
Hezbollah Refuses to Disarm
In Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Kassem’s latest speech, he said that the Lebanese government’s plan to disarm the Iran-backed group is an “Israeli-American plan” that is not in the country’s “best interest.”
He claimed that until Israel fulfils its end of the agreement to release prisoners, halt military aggression, and allow reconstruction to commence, the militant group has no obligation to disarm.
Rising International Pressure
Beirut has faced heavy pressure from the U.S. and Israel to disarm south of the Litani River by the end of 2025. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) reported significant progress and says they are nearing the completion of the first phase of a government-mandated plan.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said January 20th, that the first phase of the army’s plan to confine weapons to state control south of the Litani River is “days away from completion,” confirming that Lebanon is ready to move to the second phase of the plan.
According to numerous media reports, U.S. President Donald Trump has authorized Israel to act against Hezbollah if it deems military intervention unavoidable. During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago earlier this week, Trump reportedly said that if the LAF fails to disarm Hezbollah, Washington would support an Israeli operation.
Despite the ceasefire framework and ongoing diplomatic negotiations, tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border remain high. Israeli strikes continue to hit primarily southern and eastern Lebanon, targeting what Israel claims are Hezbollah sites and infrastructure.
Comments